1 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

C Ch ha ap pt te er r6 6: :
E EM MO OT TIIO ON NA AL LD DE EV VE EL LO OP PM ME EN NT T
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to: Define emotion and emotional development Explain the function of emotions

Discuss what is temperament Describe the theories on attachment State steps to support childrens emotional development

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

6.1 What is emotion? 6.2 What is emotional development? 6.3 Function of emotions 6.4 Expressions of emotions 6.5 Children having fear of school 6.6 Recognising others emotions 6.7 Temperament 6.8 Attachment 6.9 Supporting childrens emotional development Summary Key Terms References

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Physical Development & Growth Chapter 3: Cognitive Development Piaget & Vygotsky Chapter 4: Cognitive Development Information Processing Chapter 5: Moral Development Chapter 6: Emotional Development Chapter 7: Language Development Chapter 8: Social Development Chapter 9: Family Influence Chapter 10: Influences Beyond the Family

This chapter focuses on the emotional development of children. Emotion is seen as consisting of basic and complex emotions; and most important is the function of emotions in an individuals life. Emphasis is on the issue of temperament and attachment and the role of adults in supporting childrens emotional development.

2 Chapter 6:Emotional Development 6.1 What is an Emotion?

What is an emotion? Emotion is a consciousness feeling such as joy, sorrow, fear, hate or the like that is experienced by a person. There are two types of emotions: basic emotion and complex emotions: Basic Emotions are experienced by people worldwide and each emotion consists of three elements: It is a subjective feeling (subjective because it varies with individuals) It is usually accompanied by certain physiological changes such as increased heartbeat or breathing, and Often manifested overtly as a behaviour such as crying or shaking. Complex Emotions are feelings of success (because ones expectations are met) and feelings of failure (when ones expectations are not met). Examples of complex emotions are pride, guilt and embarrassment. 6.2 What is Emotional Development?

Emotional development or growth is the process of developing feelings and learning how to handle them appropriately. When we talk about emotional development, we are referring to childrens growing ability to understand their own feelings; understand the feelings of others; manage their feelings; develop empathy and establishing good relationships with family, friends and others. From the time they are born, children quickly develop the ability to express different basic emotions, cope with and manage their emotions (feelings). To do this they need the help of parents and other adults to help them; i.e. cope and manage different feelings. Sadness, fear, anger, and happiness are our most common basic emotions (feelings). Complex emotions emerge when children are about 1 to 2 years of age. At this age children have some understanding of the self and so they can have feelings of guilt or embarrassment. For example, at this age children can have guilt feelings when they have done something wrong such as breaking a toy. Every child has emotional needs. Meeting those needs is one of the most important things parents and caregivers have to do. 6.3 Functions of Emotion

Why do people have emotion? Would not life be better if people did not have emotions like computers. Probably not! Try to imagine a world without emotions. You would not find pleasure from having a good meal, having sex or holding a baby in your arms. Hence, you need different emotions (different types of feelings) because

3 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

they are essential for the continuity of human species. Several researchers argue that emotions are useful because they help us adapt to the environment. For example, you are walking home late one night and you have to pass through a dimly lit neighbourhood. What happens to you? The chances are you become frightened and express the emotion of fear. Fear is good. How come? You become more attentive to sounds that might signal the presence of threat. You become more conscious of the surrounding. You probably walk quickly to a safer location. Thus, fear is adaptive because it organises your behaviour around and important goals avoiding danger. Other examples of emotions that are adaptive include happiness, disgust and so forth. If a person is happy, it may result in better interpersonal relationships. When people are happy with others, they tend to smile and this often causes other people to feel happy too. Just like words of the song which says Smile and the whole world smiles with you. Similarly, disgust is also an emotion that is adaptive. For example, when you put spoilt food in your mouth, your immediately spit it out. Thus, emotions enable humans to adapt to the different situations they encounter throughout their life (Kail, 2008). 6.4 Expression of Emotions

Have you heard people say that a certain individual oftentimes expresses her emotions! What does it mean? As mentioned earlier, basic emotions result in the expression of a particular overt (outward or obvious) behaviour. In children, overt behaviour are seen in facial expressions. Look at the three pictures of babies. Who is sad? Who is angry? Who is happy?

Facial expression is one component of an emotion. According to Fox, Kimmerly & Schafer (1991), when infants and adults smile, they are happy which is accompanied by a physiological change. The left frontal cortex of the brain tends to have more electrical activity than the right frontal cortex. Children all over the word express basic emotions in the same way. Regardless of region or culture, all children the same facial expression of anger, sadness and happiness as shown in the three picture above.

4 Chapter 6:Emotional Development Do you agree? Collectively, facial expressions reflect young childrens underlying emotional state. Lewis (2000) and Mascola, Fischer & Li (2003) trace the development of emotions as follows: Newborns experience two general emotions: pleasure and distress. When they are about 2 to 3 months of age, social smiles appear; i.e. they smile when they see another human face. At times this is accompanied by cooing (the early form of vocalization). They are also able to express sadness; they look sad when their mother stops playing with them. When they are about 4 to 6 months of age, anger emerges. For example, they show anger when a favourite toy is taken away. Around 6 to 9 months of age, fear begins to emerge. For example, when a stranger approaches, the child shows signs of stranger wariness; i.e. the child cries and looks frightened especially when the stranger approaches suddenly without warming up to the child. By the time they are 8 to 9 months of age, they are able to express all the basic emotions (anger, happiness, sadness, fear, etc). Complex emotions emerge around 1 to 2 years of age when children have an understanding of their self. o For example, they feel guilty when they have broken a toy. The following thoughts races in their minds: You told me to be careful, but I was not. o For example, they feel pride when they accomplish having done a challenging task for the first time. The following thoughts races in their minds: Ive never done this, but this time I did it all by myself. As children grow, their collection of emotions continues to expand such as regret and relief. Most importantly complex emotions are more evident. For example, primary school children experience shame and guilt in situations where they would not have when they were younger (Reimer, 1996). Fear is another emotion that begin to manifest itself in many different ways. For example, preschool children are afraid of the dark and imaginary creatures. These fear slowly diminish when they get to primary school when they better understand the difference between appearance and reality. Another common fear among some preschool children is the fear of going to school (which is discussed next)

6.1 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) What is an emotion? Differentiate between the two types of emotions? b) What is the adaptive role of emotions? c) How do children express their emotions facially?.

5 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

6.5

CHILDREN HAVING FEAR OF SCHOOL

Nigel Blagg (1990), in his book school phobia mentioned that childrens fear of school is a condition that has been recognised since the 1960s. According to him;
They will experience extreme anxiety. They are off school, typically with their parents' knowledge and approval. And they often have symptoms like tummy aches, head aches and nausea. Some of them suffer severely with depression. Any attempts to get them to school, when they are at their worst can lead to quite extreme behaviour - temper tantrums, screaming, kicking. It is very distressing for the adults.

Figure 6.1 Parents coaxing child who refuses to go to school

School phobia results in children refusing to go school and is equally common among boys and girls and is most likely to occur between age 5 to 11 (see Figure 6.1). Incidence of school refusal is highest when schools reopen. What is school refusal? School refusal is defined as the behavior of resisting or refusing to attend a specific class or to stay in school for an entire day (Sharma, 1996). Such school refusal may be accompanied by one or more of the following behaviors: o o o o o complaints about stomach pain, headache, or nausea before or during school; crying before and during school; frequent visits to the school nurse; temper tantrums; specific fears; anxiety or sadness.

Other than refusing to go to school, these children are well-behaved, and academically smart kids. Unlike truants, they stay home only with their parents' knowledge. Generally, they have a close relationship with one or both parents. Overall, they are good kids. So the question arises why does a child who wants to comply with the parents' wishes and be good, refuses to go to school.

6 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

A) WHY SOME CHILDREN REFUSE TO GO TO SCHOOL? Some children refuse to go to school because they are overly anxious. Some may have specific fears or concerns regarding teachers, peers, or some other aspects of the school setting. Some children may consciously or unconsciously worry, not about the school as such, but about being away from home. These are children who may be afraid to sleep on their own, insist on having lights on in their room at night, and have nightmares about their safety or the safety of their parents. Some children are anxious about something at school or home and need to be gradually exposed to the situation they want to avoid. Some children tend to feel that others see them in a negative way. They become unduly self-conscious and avoid social situations in which they fear others may criticise them or make fun of them behind their back. Some have negative and troublesome relationships with their peers, and are, perhaps, teased by mischievous children or harassed by a bully.

B) WHAT MAY BE DONE? Parents Should Talk to their Child Parents should talk to their child several times about going to school in advance and it should be done even after school starts Listen and be interested in what the child has to tell. Parents could share their initial fear and positive experiences when they first went to school. Parents should tell how they understand how their child feels, but dont tell them they shouldnt feel that way. Sometimes children just need to think out loud and their fear will eventually fade. Read A Childrens Book Parents could read a book to their child about going to school. This is to help the child feel understood and be less afraid. . Draw a Story Parent should consider drawing pictures with their child and creating a story that describes what happens at school). Story should include walking him or her to their first class, hugging goodbye, classroom activities, making friends, school projects, coming to pick him or her up. Get To Know The School Parents could visit the school a few days before school officially starts. Most schools have a pre-school day where parents can come to school, meet their teacher and be with their child. Bring a snack and have some fun on the playground.

7 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Expect Physical Complaints Keep in mind that some children will express their fears in familiar and safe words like "my stomach hurts." This is perfectly normal. Look them over and check their temperature even if you dont believe them. These are important comforting behaviors that can be reassuring to a child. . Dons Make Staying Home More Rewarding In some cases, school refusal starts out with children experiencing discomfort in the school setting, but as time goes on, they develop a liking for staying home. It dawns on them how much more fun it is to stay home than to go to school and do the "boring stuff." Don't make staying home more rewarding than going to school. Eliminate or reduce all incentives for staying home. On the contrary, attach rewards and incentives to going to school and staying there throughout the school hours. Some teenagers suddenly become reluctant to go to school because of an appearance and self-esteem problem, or social "image" problem prompted by a school rumor or being let down by a friend. They need appropriate skills and parental support to deal with such situations. Openness in communication and closeness with parents can be really helpful. Some children are clinically depressed and experience significant difficulty in getting up and getting out of bed in the morning. Children who are clinically depressed or who suffer from an anxiety disorder need professional help.

6.2 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) Why do some children refuse to go to school? b) How should parents deal with children who fear school? c) How have you handled children who refuse to go to either as a parent or a teacher?

6.6

RECOGNISING OTHERS EMOTIONS AND REGULATING EMOTIONS

You are waiting for a friend whom you going to ask for a loan of RM200. When your friend arrives, he is in a bad mood; cursing and swearing about how unfair was his boss. You immediately change your plans and realise that now is not the right time to ask for a loan. What you have done is to recognise another persons emotions and adapted or changed your behaviour accordingly. When do children learn to do this? Studies have shown that babies as early as 4 months and definitely by 6 months are able to distinguish facial expressions associated with different emotions. For example,

8 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

when mothers smile and talk in a pleasant voice, babies express happiness themselves. On the other hand, when mothers are angry or sad, infants become distressed (Montague & Walker-Andrews, 2001). Between the ages of 2 and 5, children gradually learn how to manage their feelings. For example, a toddler may get mad and have a tantrum if a toy is taken away. As the child matures emotionally, he or she will learn to express anger in other ways. Young children also begin to develop moral emotions and to feel ashamed or guilty when they do something wrong. When bad things happen, young children may feel responsible for no logical reason. Children do not always know the words to explain how they feel. Young children frequently get frustrated because there is a large gap between the things they want to do and what they are actually able to do. This often results in a temper tantrum. Feelings and behaviour are closely linked. When feelings are not well managed, childrens ability to think can be impaired. As a result, children act on their feelings often without thinking. By the time they start school, children are more aware of their own feelings and the feelings of others. They are better able to link their thoughts and feelings and use words to describe their feelings. As such, they become better able to change and shape the way they feel. Childrens ability to change and adapt their feelings means they are more likely to tolerate their own frustration better, put off getting things they really want and are able to calm themselves down. 6.7 TEMPERAMENT

Temperament is defined as the abilities that children born with that enables them to interact with and react to people, places and things. In the late 1960s, Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess, and associates traced the lives of 141 individuals from infancy through adulthood called The New York Longitudinal Study. The study identified NINE TEMPERAMENT CHARACTERISTICS or TRAITS (see Table 6.1).

Activity Rhythmicity Approach/ withdrawal Adaptability Intensity Mood

Is the child always moving and doing something OR does he or she have a more relaxed style? Is the child regular in his or her eating and sleeping habits OR somewhat haphazard? Does the child meets strangers" OR tends to shy away from new people or things? Can the child adjust to changes in routines or plans easily or does he or she resist transitions? Does the child react strongly to situations, either positive or negative, OR does the child react calmly and quietly? Does the child often express a negative outlook OR is the child generally a positive person? Does the childs mood shift frequently OR is the child usually even-tempered?

9 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Persistence & attention span Distractibility

Sensory threshold

Does the child give up as soon as a problem arises with a task OR does the child keep on trying? Can the child stick with an activity a long time OR does the childs mind tend to wander? Is the child easily distracted from what he or she is doing OR can the child shut out external distractions and stay with the current activity? Is the child bothered by external stimuli such as loud noises, bright lights, or food textures OR does the child tend to ignore them?

Table 6.1 Nine temperament traits or characteristics

[source: Kathy Oliver, Understanding your childs temperament. Consumer Services. Columbus. Ohio, 2002] The researchers found that these nine traits were present at birth and continued to influence development in important ways throughout life. By observing a child's responses to everyday situations, the researchers could assess these temperaments. TEMPERAMENT TYPES These NINE traits combine to form THREE basic types of temperaments.

Easy or Flexible Children (40%) are generally calm, happy, regular in sleeping and eating habits, adaptable, and not easily upset. Because of their easy style, parents need to set aside special times to talk about the child's frustrations and hurts because he or she won't demand or ask for it. This intentional communication will be necessary to strengthen your relationship and find out what your child is thinking and feeling. Difficult, Active, or Feisty Children (10%) are often fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits, fearful of new people and situations, easily upset by noise and commotion, highly strung, and intense in their reactions. Providing areas for vigorous play to work off stored up energy and frustrations with some

10 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

freedom of choice allow these children to be successful. Preparing these children for activity changes and using redirection will help these children transition (move or change) from one place to another.

Slow to Warm Up or Cautious Children (15%) are relatively inactive and fussy, tend to withdraw or to react negatively to new situations, but their reactions gradually become more positive with continuous exposure. Sticking to a routine and your word, along with allowing ample time to establish relationships in new situations, are necessary to allow independence to unfold. The other 35 percent of children are a combination of these patterns.

Behaviours that lead to a child being classified as easy or difficult can vary based on parental and cultural values, attitudes and practices. By understanding these patterns, parents can tailor their parenting approach in such areas as expectations, encouragement, and discipline to suit the child's unique needs. The following are tips for adults such as parents and teachers:

Be aware of the child's temperament and respect his or her uniqueness without comparing him or her to others or trying to change your child's basic temperament. Adults should be aware of their own temperament and adjust their natural responses when they clash with their child's responses. Communicate. Explain decisions and motives. Listen to the child's points of view and encourage teamwork on generating solutions. Adults should set limits to help their child develop self-control. Respect opinions but remain firm on important limits. Be a good role model because children learn by imitation.

This match between the child's temperament and the demands or expectations of his or her environment (family, school, childcare setting) greatly improves relationships. Parents who are tuned into their child's temperament and who can recognize their child's strengths will find life more enjoyable. It will be a dynamic dance that will last a lifetime.

TEMPERAMENT TYPES ACCORDING TO ROTHBART Temperament refers to differences in childrens emotional reactions and ability to regulate and control their emotions. Mary Rothbart (2004) proposed another way of classifying temperament types such as the following: \ Surgency / Extraversion refers to the extent to which a child is generally happy, active, vocal and seeks interesting stimulation

11 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Negative Affect refers to the extent to which a child is angry, fearful, frustrated, shy and not easily soothed. Effortful Control refers to the extent to which a child can focus attention, is not readily distracted, and can inhibit responses.

Rothbart argues that these temperament types are evident in infancy, through childhood and plays an important role in determining adolescent and adult personality. However, one cannot classify individuals being one type and not another. For example, children who are high on Effortful Control tend to be high on Surgency / Extraversion and low on Negative Affect. In other words, children who can control their attention and inhibit responses tend to be happy and active but not angry or fearful. HOW TEMPERAMENT AFFECTS A CHILDS SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? Achievement in school is obviously related to a child's ability, to his motivation, to his experiences, and to the quality of instruction he receives. Achievement is also related to temperament. Consider how a child must adapt to a reading or mathematics assignment, especially if the assignment is long and demanding. The child must "settle down," focus energy and attention, adapt to new directions, resist distraction, and persist, even when the task may be boring or difficult. (Keogh, 2011) identified temperament dimensions and factors that affected a child's academic success in school. Most important was task orientation, which is related to temperament dimensions of activity level, distractibility, and persistence. A child who achieves is able to moderate physical activity appropriately, minimise distractions and focus on task, and persist. Teachers like students with these temperament characteristics and find them easy to teach. Children with less positive temperaments are often viewed by teachers as lower in "teachability," requiring more teacher time, management, and instruction. It is important to note that a teacher, like each of her students, brings her own temperament to the classroom. Some teachers are active, quick responding, and intense. Others are deliberate, low key, and reflective. These differences play out in the classroom. Classrooms differ in the pace of instruction, in the nature of personal interactions, and in the emotional tone in the room. Fortunately, in many cases the fit between the student and teacher is a good one, so that both are comfortable and life in the classroom is positive. In some cases, however, the fit between teacher and child temperaments is not so positive, and both student and teacher are frustrated and unhappy. Imagine Zak, a Slow-to-Warm-Up boy, in a fast-paced, frequently changing classroom where the high-energy teacher is quick, intense, and expects fast responses from students. Imagine Andyin a slowpaced classroom where the teacher stresses order and quiet, and assignments are long. Andrew's high activity, distractibility, and low persistence increase the likelihood of problems.

12 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

When children are of school age they spend many waking hours in an environment away from home and parents. In school they must adapt to new demands, to new adults, and to many different children. They must learn to follow complex rules in the classroom and on the playground, and they must learn that their personal wishes and needs are not always a priority. For some children the move from home to school is easy, and they flourish. For others the transition is not simple, and they have a difficult time adjusting. For a slow-to-warm-up child like Zak, the first weeks are frequently filled with anxiety, and he may seem withdrawn and unmotivated. For Andy, the new demands may lead him to overreact, increasing his intensity and his activity.

6.3 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) How would you define temperament? b) Explain the different temperament types. Are you able to identify these temperament types in the classroom? c) How does temperament affect a childs school experience?

6.8

ATTACHMENT

A) WHAT IS ATTACHMENT? The most important property of humankind is the capacity to form and maintain relationships. These relationships are absolutely necessary for any of us to survive, learn, work, love, and procreate. Human relationships take many forms but the most intense, most pleasurable and most painful are those relationships with family, friends and loved ones. Within this inner circle of intimate relationships, we are bonded to each other with "emotional glue" bonded with love (Perry, 2011).

Figure 6.2: Attachment is the foundation on which all other close, long-term relationships will be built.

13 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Each individual's ability to form and maintain relationships using this "emotional glue" is different. Some people seem "naturally" capable of loving. They form numerous intimate and caring relationships and, in doing so, get pleasure (Figure 6.2). Others are not so lucky. They feel no "pull" to form intimate relationships, find little pleasure in being with or close to others. They have few, if any, friends, and more distant, less emotional glue with family. In extreme cases an individual may have no intact emotional bond to any other person. Newborn humans infants cannot survive without a caregiver to provide food and protection, and will not thrive without other types of support as well. While infants have relatively few inborn behaviorssuch as crying, rooting, and suckingthey also come with many behavioural systems ready to be activated through interaction with another person. In their first year babies brains double in volume and their experiences will be hardwired in as a foundation on which to build their lives. The deep bond which children form with their primary caregiver is called attachment. Attachment is found in all mammals to some degree, especially nonhuman primates. Attachment is an emotional bond to another person.

B) GROWTH OF ATTACHMENT Psychologist John Bowlby was the first attachment theorist, describing attachment as a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings" (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). Bowlby believed that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. According to Bowlby, attachment also serves to keep the infant close to the mother, thus improving the child's chances of survival. The attachment bond has the following key elements: 1. an attachment bond is an enduring emotional relationship with a specific person; 2. the relationship brings safety, comfort, and pleasure; 3. loss or threat of loss of the person evokes intense distress. Attachment is usually with the mother; but children are also attached with their fathers, grandparents or someone else. According to Bowlby, there are FOUR PHASES IN THE GROWTH OF ATTACHMENT (see Table 6.1).

PHASES Preattachment (0 to 2 months)

CHARACTERISTICS Learn to recognise their mother by smell and sound Parents respond to infants smile or cry creating an interactive system Beginning of attachment relationship Develops a sense of trust with the familiar adult they are interacting with laugh and smile more often Consoled by the parent of main adult when upset

Attachment in the making (2 to 8 months)

14 Chapter 6:Emotional Development True Attachment (8 to 24 months)

Do protest when separated from main adult or parent Singled out the special attachment figure which usually is the mother stable socioemotional base Attachment relationship established has a mental representation of the mother Become distressed when separated from the mother lost their secure base Begin to have a better of symbols and language of adult or parent Begin to understand parents feelings and goals Can cope with separation because they understand that parents will return

Reciprocal Relationships (24 months on)

With his identification of the four stages of attachment, John Bowlby (1969) was instrumental in illuminating the changes in the development of attachment between mother and child. During the PREATTACHMENT PHASE or indiscriminate sociability phase, infants interact with most people with their cries, coos and smiles from birth to two months in order to receive attention. Between two and eight months (ATTACHMENT MAKING PHASE), the infants begin to develop a preference for the responses of familiar adults such as the mother. With the TRUE ATTACHMENT PHASE (eight to 24 months), the infants possess a strong attachment to their caregivers and suffer from separation and stranger anxiety. Their strong relationships with their caregivers are formed in tandem with the development of their motor ability to move towards their caregivers for safety and verbal skills that enable them to socialize with their caregivers on a more complex level than before. During the RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS phase that starts typically from age two years, young children have acquired representational and memory skills that allow them to relate to their environment in an active way. Thus, they do not require the constant attention of their parents. They also begin to adjust their perspectives of various situations and understand the points of view of their parents. At the same time, they are able to cope with short periods of separation from their parents.

6.4 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) How would you define attachment? b) Explain the FOUR phases of attachment growth development? c) Discuss some of your personal experiences on attachment.

15 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

C) TYPES OF ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS Mary Ainsworth (1978, 1993), an early researcher on attachment developed a methodology, called Strange Situation. in which an infant is kept in a room with its mother. Suddenly, the mother leaves the rooms for about 3 minutes, and then the mother comes back to the room; and Ainsworth observed the reaction of the child. Together with later researchers identified the following FOUR TYPES OF ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS (see Table 6.2).

Secure Attachment

The child may or may not cry when the mother leaves the room. But when she returns, the baby wants to be with her and if the child is crying, it stops. The child knows that the mother is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world. The child is not visibly upset when the mother leaves the room. When she returns, the child may ignore her by looking or turning away. The child ignores the mother when present; little distress on separation and actively turns away from the mother upon reunion

The child seems to say: I missed you terribly but now that youre back, Im okay. [about 60-65% children are of this type]

Avoidant Attachment

The child seems to say: You left me again, I always have to take care of myself.

[about 20% children are of this type]

Resistant Attachment

The child is upset when the The child seems to say: mother leaves and remains upset or even angry when she returns, Why do you do this? I and it difficult to console. need you desperately and yet you just leave me The child stays close to the without warning. mother. Gets very distressed upon separation and even angry [about 10-15% children are and resists physical contact upon of this type] reunion with the mother.

16 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Disorganised Attachment

The child seems confused when the mother leaves the room. When she returns, the child seems not to really understand whats happening.

The child seems to say:

Whats going on here? I want you to be here, but you left and now youre back. I dont know whether to Confusion about approaching or laugh or cry. avoiding the mother; most distressed by separation; upon [about 5-10% children are of reunion acts confused and dazed. this type]

Table 6.2 The four types of attachment relationships What do these types of attachment relationships? In general, these types of attachment suggest the quality of the relationship a child feels toward a particular person (parent, grandparent, caregiver, etc.). They represent childrens felt sense of security and comfort level with the persons responsiveness to their needs. They are important because children often show different outcomes in their well-being based on attachment style. Some of the important aspects of a childs growth affected by attachment quality include the following: Children who are secure in their attachments more freely explore their environment and are able to learn with confidence, while children who are insecure are more likely to struggle in being confident and learning about their surroundings. Children who are secure tend to be more popular with peers and exhibit more positive social interaction with other kids, while children who are insecure seem more at risk for hostile, anti-social or difficult relationships with other children. Children who are secure tend to be more emotionally stable and able to express and manage their feelings well, while children who are insecure are more likely to be emotionally unstable and have difficulty in expressing and managing feelings. Children who are secure demonstrate greater ability to handle stress and help others handle stress, while children who are insecure are more likely to struggle when stressed, act out in unhealthy ways and be insensitive to others who are stressed.

The importance of attachment quality can be significant. How do such attachments develop? Several key factors can affect the quality of a childs attachment. These can include the childs temperament (more active and outgoing, etc.), the context of the

17 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

situation (stranger present, familiar room, etc.), early history (traumatic experience, etc.) and other things. But the way in which a parent responds to and interacts with a young child is the key factor in how an attachment develops. A childs attachment style generally develops based on the childs perception or understanding of the caregivers reliability in providing comfort, support and security. Behaviours that promote attachment and provide the opportunity for meaningful interaction include: Smiling Looking at each other Vocalising to each other Following Clinging Physical touch and hugging Exploring the surroundings Feeding interactions Crying Playing

6.9

SUPPORTING EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN

Keep the emotional climate of the home calm, warm and predictable. Accept and acknowledge your childs emotions. Read stories to children and talk about the different feelings characters in the book may be feeling. Talking about emotions helps children to better understand their feelings. Help your child to put feelings into words it seems like you are feeling disappointed at the moment. Encourage children to talk about situations that make them feel excited, happy, angry or worried. Praise children for not losing control and staying calm. Help children to separate feelings from behaviour I know you are feeling angry but it is not OK to hit. Help children to understand the difference between their own and other peoples feelings - I know you are feeling frustrated right now but what you are doing is making your sister feel sad. Childrens emotional development is greatly influenced by the quality of the relationship that is developed between themselves and their parents. The way parents interact with their child has a lot to do with the way the child will develop emotionally. Children learn to manage their emotions by watching how other family member express and manage their emotions. Parents play a critical role in modeling how to respond to strong feelings. Children need help and practice in managing their emotions.

18 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

6.3 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) How would you define attachment? b) Explain the FOUR phases of attachment growth development? c) Discuss some of your personal experiences on attachment.

KEY TERMS Emotion Joy Basic emotions Recognition of emotion Complex emotions Emotional development Expressions of emotions Fear of school Pleasure Temperament Rothbarts theory Attachment Bowlbys theory Quality of attachment

SUMMARY

Emotion is a consciousness feeling such as joy, sorrow, fear, hate or the like that is experienced by a person. Complex Emotions are feelings of success (because ones expectations are met) and feelings of failure (when ones expectations are not met). School phobia results in children refusing to go school and is equally common among boys and girls and is most likely to occur between age 5 to 11 Some children refuse to go to school because they are overly anxious. School refusal is defined as the behaviour of resisting or refusing to attend a specific class or to stay in school for an entire day Facial expression is one component of an emotion. Regardless of region or culture, all children the same facial expression of anger, sadness and happiness. Newborns experience two general emotions: pleasure and distress.

19 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Studies have shown that babies as early as 4 months and definitely by 6 months are able to distinguish facial expressions associated with different emotions. Parents should talk to their child several times about going to school in advance and it should be done even after school starts. Temperament is defined as the abilities that children born with that enables them to interact with and react to people, places and things.

Attachment is the foundation on which all other close, long-term relationships will be built.

REFERENCES: Ainsworth, M.. (1973). The development of infant-mother attachment. In B. Caldwell and H. Ricciuti (Eds.), Review of Child Development Research (Vol. 3). Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press. Blagg, N. R. (1990), The Behavioural Treatment of School Phobia, Intervention with Children. Gupta R.M. & Coxhead P. (eds). Routledge, London. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss. Vol 2: Separation: Anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Books. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss. Vol 3: Loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books. Brotherson, S. (2005). Understanding attachment in young children. Family Science Specialist. NDSU Extension Service.

Fox, N., Kimmerly, N. & Shafer, W. (1991). Attachment to mother/attachment to father: A meta-analysis. Child Development. 62. 210-225. Kail, R. (2008). Child growth and development. Singapore: Pearson International. Keogh, B. (2011). Temperament in the classroom: Helping each child find a good fit. GreatSchool Inc. San Francisco. Lewis, M. (2000). The emergence of human emotions. In M. Lewis & J. Haviland-Jones (Eds), Handbook of emotions. 265-280. New York: Guilford.

20 Chapter 6:Emotional Development

Montague, D. & Walker-Andrews, A. (2001). Peekaboo: A new look at infants perception of emotion expressions. Developmental Psychology. 37. 826-838. Oliver, K. (2002). Understanding your childs temperament. Family and Consumer Services. Columbus. Ohio. Perry, B. (2011). Bonding and attachment in maltreated children: Consequences of emotional neglect in childhood. Teacher.Scholastic.com. Reimer, M. (1996). The development and consequences of shame in adolescence. Development Review. 16. 321-363. Sharma, V. (1996). Why Some Children Refuse to Go to School. Mind Publications. http://www.mindpub.com